The present invention relates to removing PC boards from a panel containing the PC boards. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing multiple router stations to depanel PC Boards with a common feeding station that selectively delivers PC boards to router stations that depanel the boards. The present invention also relates to providing multiple router stations that share a common router.
In today""s society, most electronic devices, such as televisions and telephones, have at least one printed circuit board (xe2x80x9cPC boardxe2x80x9d) in their circuitry. As the use of PC boards in electronic devices has increased, it has become necessary to be able to mass produce PC boards in order to mass produce electronic equipment. A common method in the mass production of PC boards is to assemble multiple PC boards at one time in a single panel. By using a single panel, assembly equipment only has to manipulate a single panel to operate on multiple PC boards. This simplifies the production of the PC boards and reduces the amount of of equipment needed to produce the PC boards. Furthermore, the time needed to produce each PC board is reduced.
Mass production of the PC boards in a single panel requires that each individual PC board must be removed or depaneled from the panel before the individual PC boards can be integrated into electronic equipment. The time needed to depanel individual PC boards from a panel is a critical factor in the production time of PC boards. In order to decrease the time needed to produce a PC board as well as electronic equipment, it is necessary to reduce the time needed to depanel individual PC boards from a panel.
In order to depanel PC boards from a panel, all connections between each individual PC board and the panel must be severed. Automated depaneling systems are commonly used to sever all connections between the individual PC boards and a panel. The individual PC boards are then moved by the automated depaneling system to a subsequent processing system or to a registration element which provides the individual PC boards to the subsequent processing system. It is a problem to reduce the cycle time needed to depanel all of the individual circuit boards from a panel.
The depaneling of individual PC boards from a panel typically involves three separate processes in a depaneling system. The three processes are delivery of a panel, depaneling individual PC boards from the panel, and providing the individual PC boards to a subsequent processing system. In a typical depaneling system, the three processes occur sequentially. First, the panel is delivered to the depaneling system. Second, the individual PC boards are depaneled. Finally, the individual PC boards are provided to a subsequent processing system.
These three operations must be done sequentially because of the physical constraints of the depaneling system. A depaneling system typically includes a table, a router and a robotic arm. A panel is received by the system and placed on the table in a preprogramed or registered position. A robotic hand at an end of the robotic arm grips each individual PC board in the panel. The router or some other cutting equipment then severs all of the connections between each PC board and the panel. After all of the connections are severed, the robotic arm moves the individual PC boards to a registration nest or a subsequent processing system. The depaneling system is not ready to receive a subsequent panel until the robotic arm returns and is able to hold the PC boards of the new panel. Therefore, a system is needed that reduces the time wasted waiting for the robotic arm to reset.
For the above reasons, there is a long felt need in the art for a depaneling system having improved cycle time to increase the number of circuit boards per unit of time produced.
The above and other problems are solved and an advance in the arts is made by the provision of a depaneling system having multiple router stations. One advantage of multiple router stations in a depaneling system is that throughput of panels through the system is increased. A second advantage is that different types of PC boards can be depaneled by the same depaneling system without stopping the process and configuring the system to handle a different type of PC board when the type of PC board is changed. A third advantage is that the depaneling process does not have to stop when one of the router stations is not operational.
A depaneling system having multiple router stations in accordance with the present invention is configured in the following manner. A feeder station receives a panel from a preceding processing system. The feeder station then determines which router station will receive the panel. The determination may be made using one of the following methods. A first method for determining which router station receives the panel is based upon the type of panel received. In which case, each router station is configured to depanel a different type of PC board and the feeder station determines the type of panel received and delivers the received panel to the router station that is configured to handle that type of panel. A second method from determining the receiving router station is by making a determination of which router station is available to receive a panel and delivering the panel to the next available router station.
After the receiving router station is selected, the feeder station delivers the panel to the selected router station. In a preferred embodiment, the router stations are configured in the following manner to receive a panel. Each router station has a receiving base. The receiving base has two support rails to receive a panel. The support rails hold the panel in place in a known position. After the panel is in the receiving base, a robotic hand is lowered and fingers that extend from the hand are used to grasp each PC board in the panel. A router then severs all of the connections in the panel.
In a preferred embodiment, a common router is shared by the router stations. The common router reduces the number of active components in the depaneling system which minimizes the number of components that can break and reduces the expense of the system. In order for a common router to be used, the receiving base moves along a first axis and the router only moves along a second axis intersecting each of the multiple router stations. The panels are depaneled by moving the router into a cutting position and activating the router. The receiving base is then moved along the first axis and the router is moved along the second axis in order to sever all the connections between the PC boards and the panel.
After the PC boards are depaneled, the remainder of the panel is discarded through an opening in the system. At the same time, the PC boards are moved to a registration station by the robotic arm holding the PC boards. In the preferred embodiment, each router station has a corresponding registration station. The registration station receives the PC board while in a receiving position proximate the receiving station. The PC boards are placed in receiving slots of the registration station that are recessed areas configured to receive the PC boards in a known orientation by the robotic arm. The registration station is then moved to a delivery position. In the delivery position, a subsequent processing station can retrieve the PC boards from the receiving slots.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the detailed description below in combination with the accompanying drawings.